New (for me!) Haul checkpoint!!!

10/04/202010/01/2020 | CJRTB Books

I totally pinched this idea from Destiny at Howling Libraries! Go check her out here.

The idea of this post is to look at your haul from the same month but from last year to see how many of those books you have actually read.

I thought, more to keep myself accountable, that this would be great!

So here we go. I may cry!

Here is my post from my September 2019 haul.

🎧 The Near Witch by VE Schwab – DNF

📚 The Girl the Sea Gave Back by Adrienne Young – STILL ON TBR

🎧 Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff ✔

📚 Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin ✔

📚 The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell – STILL ON TBR

📚 A Treason of Thorns by Laura Weymouth – STILL ON TBR

Out of 6, I have read only 2 and dnf 1.

So half.

From a year ago.

It doesn’t seem like a year ago I bought these.

Seems a little sad that I haven’t read the rest of these considering I remember how excited I was to buy them!

How do you think you would do if you looked back at your hauls?

On My Shelf Book Tag!!!

10/03/2020 | CJRTB Books

I did this in September and I really enjoyed it, it really made me think of why I bought that book and why I haven’t read it yet (these posts might be dangerous for my reading lists however!!!)

So…. ‘On my shelf’ tag.

You count the number of books on your shelf, say 50 and then ask people to give you a random number between 1 and 50.

Then once the number is chosen, count along until you get to that number and write about the book. Why did you buy it? Does it mean anything to you?

So here we go……..

I have 70 books on my Goodreads tbr shelf.

PLEASE ADD IN COMMENTS A NUMBER BETWEEN 1 AND 70 AND NEXT WEEK I WILL POST ALL ABOUT THAT BOOK!

International Coffee Day! ☕

10/01/202010/01/2020 | CJRTB Books

International Coffee Day in the UK is 1st October…..so today!

‘It’s an occasion that is used to promote and celebrate coffee as a beverage, with events now occurring in places across the world. The first official date was 1 October 2015, as agreed by the International Coffee Organization and was launched in Milan.’

Source – Wikipedia

I love coffee.
I cannot function without a coffee in the morning.
And whats better with a coffee?
Books!

I have a few coffee cups in work but as we haven’t been allowed in the office for months now I cannot add them here….but here is a selection of my bookish coffee mugs!

And my most treasured coffee mug…..

Closing the Chapter – September 2020

09/30/202009/20/2020 | CJRTB Books

Welcome to Closing the Chapter! I hope you had a great reading month?

Here we are, at the end of the first ‘ber’ month!

In my personal life, my son went back to school and loved it for the first 3 days and is now back to being ‘meh’ about it and I’m still working from home and loving it!

Our COVID numbers are going up and up. It worries me that our government is saying schools will be the last thing to close so I think I’ll get to a certain point, new infections wise, and pull my son out and they can fine me if they want!

Anyway…..books!

I made a reading list again this month as it really worked in August and it did the trick but did find my enthusiasm did dwindle!!!! Honestly you just can please some people (some people = me!) Still, 7 books read which is pretty good for me!

📚

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

See my review here.

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V Schwab

See my review on publication day (as requested by publisher)

Wild Fire by Kristen Ashley

See my review here.

Playing with Fire by LJ Shen

See my review here.

Star Daughter by Shveta Thakrar

See my review here.

Fragile Longing by Cora Reilly

See my review here.

Legendborn by Tracey Deonn

Look out for my review soon!

Of the Blood by Cameo Renae was sadly was a DNF for me.

What did you read in September

TTT – Favourite Book Quotes

09/29/202009/04/2020 | CJRTB Books

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Theme: Favourite Book Quotes

Omg. So many. So many. But I’ve narrowed it down. But, and I don’t know how this happened, I’ve only got 8! I had about 20 originals and lost 2 along the way. Hey ho!

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

‘You’re better than waffles, Matthias Helvar.

A small smile curled the Fjerdan’s lips.

Let’s not say things we don’t mean, my love.’

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

‘She imagined loving him would feel like falling in love with darkness, frightening and consuming yet utterly beautiful when the stars came out.’

Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

‘I appear to have misplaced the fucks I give for what you think.’

😂😂 Mia!

The Beginning of Everything by Kristen Ashley

‘And she’d taught me much, including the fact that we had two eyes, two ears and only one mouth for a reason. Watch. Listen. And then make your decisions or carry forth your acts.’

A Secret for a Secret by Helena Hunting

‘I’ve been warned about Waters’s wife. We all have. By Waters.’

(Lovers of this series know about Violet. I love Violet!)

And I’m sure a lot of people will include these….but I had to!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

‘You could rattle the stars, You could do anything, if you only dared. And deep down, you know it, too.’

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

‘To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.’

The Prisoner of Azkaban

‘You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?’

Review: Fragile Longing by Cora Reilly

09/28/202009/20/2020 | CJRTB Books

Title: Fragile Longing

Author: Cora Reilly

Sofia knows how it feels to be the consolation prize.
Too young.
Not blond.
And definitely not an ice princess.
Her sister is—was all those things. Perfection. Until she wasn’t. Until she ran off to be with the enemy and left her fiancé behind.
Now Sofia is given to Danilo in her sister’s stead, knowing she’ll never be more than second best. Yet, she can’t stop longing for the love of the man she’s been crushing on even when he was still her sister’s.

Danilo is a man who’s used to getting what he wants.
Power.
Respect.
The sought-after ice princess.
Until another man steals his bride-to-be. Danilo knows that for a man in his position losing his woman can lead to a loss of face.
Wounded pride.
Thirst for revenge.
A dangerous combination—one Danilo can’t leave behind, not even when a girl just as precious takes her sister’s place to placate him. Yet, she’s got one flaw: she’s not her sister.
Unable to forget what he’s lost, Danilo might lose what he’s been given.

Hooked.
Line and sinker.

If you have been following this storyline you will be hooked too!

‘But she was the consolation prize. We all knew it.’

Basically Sofia is the spare, a replacement. At first I wanted to cuddle Sofia so badly and punch Danilo right in the mush! But girl got claws!

But then Danilo surprised me too. He was beautiful!!

‘Where I was prideful , Sofia was humble. Where I was vengeful, she was forgiving. Where I was short-tempered, she was patient.’

I do need to add that I know this book was about Sofia but Anna really shone here. I need her story!

Spooky October reads… 🧙‍♀️🧹

09/27/202009/02/2020 | CJRTB Books

It’s that time of year when I start thinking about what books I want to read for my Spooky reads in October for Halloween.

I normally like to go for 3 or 4 that fit the spooky/paranormal theme so these are the books I think I want to read (and I say think because I’m now such a mood reader so they might change!)

Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich

Nightfall by Penelope Douglas

The whole concept of the series is built around Devils Night and the other books have been utterly delish.

🎧Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Do you read spooky themed books for October?

What’s on your list?

My (huge) Haul – September 2020

09/26/202009/20/2020 | CJRTB Books

You know at the beginning of the year when I said I wasn’t going to sign up for hardly any arcs?

I dont know what happened. One minute I was perusing Netgalley and before I knew it I had requested loads…..and then they were approved. It all happened so fast!

6 arcs. Luckily I have read 4 of them so I need to get my skates on with the rest!

📚 Physical/ebook